Tea for Two
by Frith
Summary: Toko. Five years post-finale. Peace talks did not go well for the Fire Nation, forcing Zuko to give up some of the things he loves the most.
1. A Wedding

Chapter One

* * *

With stiff fingers, Toph twisted one of the beads that adorned her dress. Thousands of beads flecked the cool silk wrapped around her frame, which, Katara assured her, looked lovely.

"Thanks," she murmured, wincing a little in the cold. For some reason, traditional water tribe weddings required freezing your fanny off. Snow crunched beneath her feet and the make-up caked on her face started to crystallize. Katara, dressed in a fur coat that Toph kept surreptitiously petting, led the way to the igloo's front where the happy couple had reserved a long stone bench for them.

With her feet, she could feel the word "igloo" did this place a massive injustice. Ice temple, she thought, Hakoda had called it an ice temple. The chapel was round and large, well-equipped for Sokka's wedding guests. Sokka and _Suki's_ wedding guests, she corrected. Everything felt carved from ice, except for the rows of cozy rock benches, separated by a long rug of Polar leopard fur. The Southern Water tribe had been sensible enough not to require their guests to numb their rumps on ice-blocks. Rump-sicles, anyone? Toph grinned.

"Hey, Zuko," Katara's voice broke her growing list of frozen backsides. _Butt-sicles, bottom-sicles, fanny-sicles, tush-sicles—_Oh! Nice one!

"Hi." His voice sounded strained and the Fire Lord's teeth chattered. On his arm, Mai stood, oddly impervious to sub-zero temperatures. Zuko took the seat next to Toph, and she had to smile when his girlfriend whispered, "How romantic. I want to get frostbite from my wedding too."

"Tell me about it." Toph answered, flexing her toes. She had a pair of shoes with thin soles, but they made things a little fuzzy. So, she opted for bare feet, thinking "ice temple" implied a temple "in" rather than "of" ice. "Hey, Sparky! What's it been? A year?"

"Yeah," Zuko answered.

A year since they had last seen each other. Five years since he had taken the throne.

"How's ruling your own country working out?"

"Difficult. The Fire Nation has a lot to atone for and the other Nation's aren't always . . . forgiving." He sighed and his breath reeked of fatigue and every inch of him radiated weariness. Though they sat with a foot between them, Toph good feel his muscles tensing.

"Relax, your majesty, it's a wedding. Speaking of which, haven't you got one—" She stopped herself. Both Mai and Zuko's heartbeats took off running. She had touched a nerve. Change subject. Change subject.

Mai beat her to it. "Haven't you got a date to this thing?"

"Teo's a groomsman."

"You and Teo—?" Zuko sounded shocked.

"No." She would never admit the lack of romance in her life annoyed her, prayed on her insecurities. Tossing her head back, she shrugged the issue off, "I have trouble reading him since his feet don't touch the ground."

"I see."

Don't sound so incredulous, Sparky. She sat with her back rigid, her chin raised. I, at seventeen, am the Earth King's most trusted advisor, replacing Long Feng as grand Secretariat.

I taught the Avatar earthbending.

I freakin' invented metalbending.

I'm fine being single, thank you.

Single? Alone.

Her shoulders sagged.

She had thought this wedding was hard because of the lingering childhood crush on Sokka, but, perhaps, it had more to do with the fact that she had no potential wedding plans of her own. Not that she wanted to get married, but it would be nice to have the option. Katara had Aang. Zuko had Mai, despite their strange reaction earlier. Heck! Pipsqueak was even dating someone.

"Ugh, this is taking forever." Mai drawled. This time, Katara heard her.

"Gee, Mai, I'm sorry. I guess we forgot this day was all about you." Score one for Sugar Queen. Toph resisted the urge to high five her.

"Whatever. I'm out of here. You can sit here and freeze your ass off if you want to," she said to Zuko, getting up. Assicle! Why hadn't Toph thought of that?

"Mai . . ." Zuko half-stood, arm outstretched. However, Mai whisked herself out of the temple like a lightning bolt, storming down the fur rug.

"Aren't you going after her?" Toph asked.

For a moment, he was silent. Then he sat down, hands neatly in his lap. "No."

Katara shifted in her seat, a little guilty. "Why not?"

"It's a long story."

The universe took the Fire Lord's cue, and the wedding march began. Out came the Kyoshi Warriors, the bridesmaids, their footsteps lighter without their armor. The perfume of Antarctic lilies permeated the air.

* * *

"Congratulations!" Toph slugged Sokka on the shoulder. He didn't even wince.

"Thanks, Toph. Glad you made it."

"Yes, thank you," Suki echoed. When the bride had come in, Toph had heard a wave of gasps. She must look gorgeous.

"What's a party without Toph?" She smiled and made way for the rest of the line to greet the new couple. Soon to be three, Toph noted. She thought the wedding had been a little rushed.

She entered the crowd with Teo wheeling beside her. Thankfully, the reception took place in a large hut with fire pit roaring with flames. Blubber crackled on a spit above it, filling the entire room with a salty, fishy aroma. Teo was gagging.

"I'll get you some water."

"Please . . ." he groaned.

She wandered to the buffet, feeling her way to the cups, then finding a fountain. Over the jumble of conversation and laughter, her ears picked up Zuko's dulcet tones.

"That was embarrassing, Mai. I know you're upset, but that doesn't mean—"

"Upset? _Upset? _I'm more than _upset_, Zuko."

"There's nothing I can do! Don't you see that?"

The voices came from outside. Toph moved closer to the far wall. Presumably made from stretched tiger seal skin, the wall was thin and barely muffled their voices. Their heart beats pounded, their blood pumping.

"There is. You just don't care about me enough." Mai's voice came out level, contrary to the anger that rattled every nerve.

"Don't say that!"

"But it's true. I'm sick of this. I love you, Zuko." Tears, they gave the words a slick sound. "I can't be second anymore."

"I'm _Fire Lord_, Mai." He was pleading.

"So, I guess I shouldn't blame you. Look, I'm going back to the ship. Goodbye." One pair of feet crunched off toward the shore. The other, suddenly heavier, stayed rooted to the spot.

"Toph, can I have that water?"

She jumped, but recovered. "Yeah, sorry."

* * *

A western style wedding? Pretty uninspired. Aw, well.

Thanks for reading.

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	2. A Letter to Mai

A week after Sokka's wedding, Zuko had sufficiently thawed. Mai, however, remained cold. All his gifts and flowers had been sent back, a stuffed armadillo bear he had won her two years ago mysteriously missing its head. He wrote a long, heartfelt letter, containing a sonnet he only partly plagiarized from the court poet, pleading, apologizing . . . regretting . . .

It began:

_Dear Mai,_

Then, he scratched that out and wrote, _Dearest Mai,_

Then, he crumbled up the parchment and started afresh.

_Mai_, it began simply.

_Mai,_

_I love you and a piece of my heart will always belong to you. However, I have inherited the terrible burden of rebuilding this country. . . _

Zuko tapped his chin with the end of his brush. He dipped the brush in ink and continued.

_A burden you should not have to bear. If I had a choice, things would not be this way, but the other nations have made it clear. . ._

The other nations had made it clear . . . Zuko sighed, and put down his brush in order to rub his temples. Since he had taken the throne six years ago, his life had been nothing short of a nightmare. The Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom had been quick with their terms of surrender. Quick and unreasonable. Thankfully, Aang had been there in order to talk the nations out of their more vindictive demands that would have left the Fire Nation in poverty and left its dignity in shreds. However, on some things they had been unyielding.

He picked up the brush again.

_The other nations have made it clear that I cannot marry within the Fire Nation. _

He remembered when Mai had first found out. She had laughed because she thought it was a joke. Then, she had laughed because of how the other nations would react when Zuko told them he wasn't going to do that. Then, she had stared at him stonily, when she realized that he would do no such thing.

Looking back, Zuko realized he had not handled the situation well. For instance, when he said that he could reinstate polygamy and make her his concubine . . . Yes, she had not liked that.

His letter went on. Zuko imagined himself tearing open his heart and letting it bleed all over the page. It hurt, writing that letter, it really did. He wasn't sure how many times he assured her he loved her. In the end, he signed,

_Love, Zuko_

And gave it to a servant. He would never know if she had read it.

* * *

lol update


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